Stone Wall of Fire
by Naomi the Fire Adept
Summary: Naomi Sequel to 'Of Plied Hearts' It's a Jenna & Isaac based after the Greek myth of Atlanta & Melanion, which has always been one of my favorites!
1. Conflagration

A sequel to Plied Hearts!  
  
Garet: Joy.  
  
Hey, lots of people liked Plied Hearts, Garet-chan. This story has the same setting and it's a modern-day myth, too. The only difference is that my English teacher isn't forcing me to write it.  
  
Garet: How come I never get the girl in any of your stories.  
  
Because I'm saving you for me, silly!   
  
Garet: ...  
  
^_^;; Right. Read and Review!  
  
***  
  
Stone Wall of Fire  
  
~~~~  
  
Chapter One: Conflagration  
  
Jenna watched mournfully as she saw Mia racing down the hall towards her. "It's Picard again, isn't it?"  
  
Mia nodded, grinning broadly. "He's asked me to a dance at his school!"  
  
"Whoop-diddy," Jenna said sarcastically.  
  
"What's your problem?" Mia asked.  
  
Jenna glowered. "Boys are my problem, that's what."  
  
Mia winced. "Garet tried to ask you out again, didn't he?"  
  
"I wasn't able to injure him sufficiently last time," Jenna sighed. "And he had the nerve to ask me if I'd go to Mickey D's."  
  
"I think he was just hungry and wanted to know if he could get you anything," Garet murmured as he walked past them, his left eye surrounded by a black and blue ring.  
  
"No one asked you!" Jenna barked and stormed off to her next class.  
  
Mia raced after her. "Hey, calm down. Why don't you come to the dance with Picard and me? He wouldn't mind and maybe you could meet some new friends."  
  
"Just so long as Garet won't be there," Jenna sighed. "I would like to go to a dance where I don't have to worry about seeing any of the jerks the next day."  
  
"It's settled then!" Mia smiled. "Picard-chan and I will pick you up at eight tomorrow."  
  
"Picard-chan?" Jenna watched Mia walk away and waved to her brother as he came towards her.   
  
"I saw Garet's bruise," Felix grinned. "Good job."  
  
Jenna adjusted her dog collar choker slightly in the mirror. Garet had given to her a Christmas or two ago, just before he had started getting all mushy. 'Never mind that,' she though, 'I am so not worrying about Garet tonight. I'm gonna meet some guys, hang out with Mia, and avoid Picard.'  
  
A horn honked outside and Jenna waved goodbye to Felix, who couldn't decide wither or not he liked Picard for not coming to the door. Jenna slid into the back of Picard's jaguar and buckled her seat belt. "What's up, guys?"  
  
Mia looked back at her from shotgun. "We're meeting some of Picard's friends at the dance. I think you'll like one of them."  
  
Jenna cringed inside. Mia wanted to set her up with some desperate guy, did she? Well, she'd just have to make the best of the situation, since she'd already agreed to go with them. "That sounds fun."  
  
When they got to Picard's school, Jenna shuttered in the romantic atmosphere of the gym. Picard led the way to corner where his friends were staked out. "Hey, everyone, this is Mia's friend, Jenna."  
  
"Hi, I'm Sheba," a blond hair girl waved and pointed to her date, "and this is Ivan."  
  
"'Lo," Ivan nodded.  
  
"How'd you guys get here before us?" Picard asked kindly. "I thought you were going to walk."  
  
"We were," Sheba smiled. "But Ivan's sister, Hama, was in town, so she gave us a ride."  
  
"Have you guys seen Isaac?" Mia queried. "I wanted Jenna to meet him."  
  
"Shut up, you," Sheba hit Ivan as he tried to stifle a laugh. "Isaac went to get us some punch."  
  
"We'll go find him," Picard said, taking Mia's hand and walking off.  
  
Jenna slouched against the wall. "Okay, so what's wrong with him?"  
  
"With who?" Sheba asked innocently.  
  
"What's wrong with this Isaac person?" Jenna interrogated again.  
  
Sheba bit her lip and hit Ivan again. "He's really nice."  
  
"Ugly," Jenna interpreted. "Okay, I can deal with that as long as he isn't horribly disfigured. What else?"  
  
Ivan was about to say something when Sheba hit him a third time. "Isaac isn't ugly, he's kinda cute. He just doesn't talk much and he's a bit of a loner. The problem isn't really with him, though, it's with Ivan."  
  
"You're getting hooked up with Isaac!" Ivan blurted out and cracked up.  
  
Jenna was the one who hit him this time. Ivan blinked, because he obviously wasn't accustomed to be hit by anyone but Sheba, but it shut him up. "Do you find that funny, little man?"  
  
"Nice hit."  
  
Jenna whirled around to see a dreamy blue eyed guy acknowledging her. "Oh, hi."  
  
"What did you do this time, Ivan?" Picard asked tiredly as he walked up with Mia.  
  
"She hit me!" Ivan exclaimed.  
  
Sheba rolled her eyes. "It took him a while, didn't it?"  
  
"Jenna, this is Isaac," Mia explained, pointing to the newcomer.  
  
Sheba had lied. Isaac wasn't 'kinda cute,' he was gorgeous! His dirty blond hair stuck out in every direction as he turned his head to look at her and his cool blue eyes gazed steadily back at her. He looked slightly uncomfortable in a place this crowded, stuffy place, but he seemed willing to stay to be with her.   
  
Jenna crossed her arms and forced a glare. "Hello."  
  
"Hi," Isaac murmured negligently.  
  
"Well, she hasn't bitten his head off yet," Picard smiled. "That's a good sign."  
  
"Let's go dance," Mia said, leading Picard away from Jenna, who was steadily glaring daggers.  
  
Isaac handed Sheba and Ivan the punch he had gotten for them. "Do you want some punch, too, Jenna?"  
  
Jenna was inwardly distressed that he was so willing to leave her side. Instead of mentioning anything remotely similar to that she slouched against the wall and grumbled, "I don't get thirsty."  
  
"Okay then," Isaac shrugged and leaned on the wall beside her. Jenna couldn't remember doing so much wall leaning in her life. Chairs were apparently a comfort that Picard's school easily overlooked.  
  
"Ivan, I like this song! C'mon, let's go dance!" Sheba exclaimed, grabbing Ivan's hand and pulling him out onto the dance floor.  
  
"So..." Isaac began, obviously at a loss of how to start a conversation.  
  
"So what?" Jenna spat.  
  
"Do you like any sports or art or anything?" Isaac asked slowly.  
  
"I hate everything," Jenna glowered.  
  
"I hate those mime people, so we have something in common," Isaac chuckled.  
  
Jenna refused to like him. She was utterly discussed by the idea of falling in love at first sight...but still... "I was a mime for Halloween once."  
  
"Ironic, I was a glass box one Halloween," Isaac said.  
  
Jenna held back a laugh. No, she was not going to like him. There was no way she would like a guy who had been a glass box.  
  
"Do you want to dance tonight?" Isaac queried.  
  
"I'm two left feet," Jenna replied, almost a little reluctantly.  
  
"So am I," Isaac admitted. "I notice that we're both wearing sturdy shoes, though."  
  
"I'm not feeling well," Jenna lied. "I'm going to walk home."  
  
Isaac looked distressed. "It's almost dark. You shouldn't walk home alone."  
  
"I've taken kendo," Jenna shrugged.  
  
Isaac caught up with her. "I took karate. I'll come with you."  
  
"No, you should stay and dance with someone," Jenna disagreed.  
  
"So should you," Isaac said.  
  
Jenna stopped. They were close to the dance floor and this song was almost over. Dancing for a half-song couldn't hurt her. "Okay. One dance, then I'm going home." 


	2. Written in the Rose Petals

One review.  
  
Garet: One?  
  
One and only one.  
  
Garet: Wow.  
  
Tell me about it.  
  
Garet: Then why are you still writing?  
  
Cuz I feel like it. I like romance. I mean-did I just say that?! Gross!  
  
Garet: Tell me about it.  
  
***  
  
Stone Wall of Fire  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Written in the Rose Petals  
  
Two hours later, Picard dropped Jenna off at her house. She practically felt like skipping inside. She shut the door behind her and closed her eyes, savoring the moment.  
  
Felix looked up from the dining room table. "Did you have fun?"  
  
Jenna pulled a spoon out of the drawer and started eating out of his carton of chocolate ice cream. "It was okay. Isaac was nice enough."  
  
"Who's Isaac?" Felix asked through a mouth full of ice cream.  
  
Jenna shrugged. "Some guy that Mia wanted to set me up with."  
  
"Did he touch you?" Felix glared as though Isaac was sitting in front of him.  
  
Jenna rolled her eyes. "No, of course not. We just danced."  
  
"Danced?" Felix repeated as he gaped at her.  
  
"Look, it's not like I'm not old enough to date," Jenna muttered.  
  
Felix's eyes narrowed. "He asked you on a date?"  
  
"I said no, okay?" Jenna glowered. "Come on, it's like you don't trust me to refuse these guys."  
  
"You know how I feel about you dating," Felix said.  
  
"Of course I do!" Jenna shouted. "Of course I do, but have you ever wondered how I feel about it? It was hard to refuse Garet so many times when he's such a sweet guy at heart. But Isaac is different. He's more than sweet. If he asks again, I can't promise that I'll say no."  
  
"You had better if you care at all for his well-being," Felix threatened.  
  
"I'm going to bed," Jenna told her brother through clenched teeth. "Good night."  
  
"So, did you enjoy yourself?" Mia asked Jenna as Felix drove then to school.  
  
Felix shot Jenna "the look" and she rolled her eyes. "Isaac was okay, but then he asked me out. I mean, if I don't go out with Garet, whom I've know all of my life, why should I date a guy I just met?"  
  
Garet leaned over to whisper in Mia's ear, "Should I be glad or offended?"  
  
"When it comes to Jenna, it usually pays to be indifferent," Mia shrugged and watched as Jenna turned up the radio. She realized that her friend's eyes were brimming with tears, but Jenna was trying her best not to cry. If only there was something that she could do to help Jenna...  
  
"We have to get you on a date with Jenna,' Mia told Isaac.  
  
"How?" Isaac asked, lifting an eyebrow. It was odd enough that his best friend's girlfriend was coming over to talk with him, but this? "She already said no. I'm not going to force her to go out with me."  
  
"She likes you already," Mia explained. "Jenna is just really shy."  
  
"Shy?!" Isaac demanded. "If that was shy, Picard lives in a cardboard shack."  
  
"Which I don't," Picard interrupted.  
  
Mia jumped. "Picard, I asked you to wait in the car for me!"  
  
Picard shrugged. "I gave you a ride; you can't refuse my advice, can you?"  
  
"Fine," Mia sighed. "What do you think we should do?"  
  
"Age old wisdom," Picard said, lifting a finger. "If at first you don't succeed, try try again."  
  
"So you want me to badger her to death?" Isaac queried.  
  
Picard shook his head. "You got her attention once, at the dance. You need to get her again, but the third time is a charm."  
  
"So what?" Isaac asked. "I doubt that she'll be coming to anymore dances."  
  
"Roses!" Mia exclaimed.  
  
Isaac stared at her. "Isn't that a bit cliché?"  
  
"Not cliché," Mia corrected. "Endearing."  
  
"Red roses, then," Isaac sighed. "Do we have a last idea?"  
  
"We'll work on that," Mia promised. "Roses are a good start, though."  
  
"You should find a creative way to give them to her," Picard suggested.  
  
"Creative," Isaac nodded. "I think I can do that."  
  
"What on earth?" Jenna breathed as Felix stopped the car in front of their house.  
  
"Why is the lawn red?" Felix questioned.  
  
Jenna knelt down and picked up a rose petal. "Felix, these are covering the whole front yard!"  
  
Felix shook his head. "I'm going to go find the rakes."  
  
"Wait," Jenna whispered. She raced up to her room and threw open the window. Some of the rose petals were darker and she could make out something written if she read it upside-down. "When can I see you again? Isaac."  
  
Jenna flopped down on her bed, exhaling deeply. No one had ever done something like that for her before. She highly doubted that anyone had ever done anything like that for someone else in the history of the world. Isaac.  
  
"Hey, Jenna, are you going to come down and help me?" Felix called. Felix! If Felix found out what Isaac had written in the rose petals, Isaac would be ripped into a billion pieces!  
  
"I'll take care of it!" Jenna rushed down the stairs and ripped the rake out of Felix's hands. She rushed with it around the yard and stopped to take a breath, only then did she realize Felix was looking at her oddly. "I just had a lot of energy, ya know?"  
  
"Maybe you should spend more of that energy on French," Felix said. "You've got a D in it at the moment."  
  
"You know what, why don't you lend me your keys and I'll go talk with my teacher right now before the energy wares off?" Jenna asked sweetly. She laughed when Felix held the keys protectively. She dropped the rake and walked inside, leaving Felix to deal with the rest of the petals.  
  
***  
  
One person reviewing is better than no people reviewing!  
  
Garet: Unless that person is flaming you.  
  
No, that's always fun, too! ^_^ 


	3. The Last Golden Apple

Huston, we have updation!  
  
Garet: Why are you talking to people in Huston? It's not like anyone cares.  
  
I know, isn't it great? ^_^  
  
Stone Wall of Fire ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Last Golden Apple and a Banana Split  
  
"Mission complete," Isaac whispered to himself from his position in the bushes. He had skipped his last period to lay all of the rose petals out. He had no idea why Jenna had messed up his message, but at least he had tried. Waiting for Jenna's brother to leave, he crept out of the bushes and walked down the street to the house where he had parked his car.  
  
***  
  
"So, what's next?" Isaac asked as he slumped into a lazy boy at Picard's mansion.  
Mia shrugged. "I have no idea."  
"What?!" Isaac exclaimed. "This was your plan and you don't even know what I'm supposed to do next?"  
"Chill out," Picard replied. "I've got another idea."  
"What's that?" Mia questioned.  
Picard furrowed his brow. "Does Jenna have any place where she goes alone?"  
"The cemetery," Mia said automatically.  
"Man, she's more morbid than I thought," Isaac grinned.  
Picard ignored Isaac's statement. "Does she go there at a certain time or day of the week?"  
Mia nodded. "Every Saturday night."  
"Thanks ladies, I'll take it from here," Isaac said, walking out hurriedly.  
  
***  
  
Jenna chose her winding path around the gravestones carefully. She gazed silently at each headstone she passed, wondering whose lives the dead person had touched. She respectfully placed a daisy next to every one that read 'loving mother' or 'mother of...'.  
"Do you ever think about how these people might've died?"  
Jenna jumped. She whirled around, trying to find the source of the voice. "Where are you?"  
"In the tree."  
Jenna looked up and saw Isaac waving down at her. He slid off the branch he was sitting on and landed right next to Jenna. "Sorry to drop in like that." Jenna just stared at him. "Anyway...I've been wondering how that woman left this world."  
Gazing at the memorial Isaac had indicated, Jenna nodded. "I think it was of a broken heart."  
Isaac peered at her, trying to read the expression on her face. "What makes you say that?"  
Jenna knelt down. "It says 'Caring Mother,' but the stone is alone, you see? If she had husband, there would probably be another stone next to her with the same last name."  
"So you think that she got divorced or something?" Isaac asked.  
Jenna shook her head. "Her husband left her and her daughter thought that it was somehow her fault. After the son saw how much his father had hurt his mother and sister he took a silent oath never to let any man hurt the only two people that he cared about. A few years later this woman was in such anguish because of the pain she and her tattered remains of family felt that she killed herself."  
"Wow," Isaac blinked. "That was a depressing story. But you know, instead of your tale, she could've moved out here after her husband died to be with her kids. Once she died, the children might not have had enough money to send her body to be buried next to her husband."  
Jenna chuckled emotionlessly. "That's a nicer story, but the real difference between my tale and yours is that mine is true."  
"Did you know the lady?" Isaac questioned.  
"Yes," Jenna replied as she placed her last daisy on the stone. "She is my mother."  
Isaac stared. "So...you're the daughter that thought it was your fault your dad left?"  
Jenna shrugged. "I got over it after a few years. I used to just pretend that he had gone on one of his business trips and would be back in a few days, but when ever my brother told me that I couldn't date it reminded me that he'd never come back."  
"I'm hoping that's the only reason you wouldn't go out with me," Isaac said.  
"You have no idea how hard it is to say 'no' to people who deserve a 'yes,'" Jenna murmured, wrapping her arms around herself.  
Isaac knelt next to her. "No, I don't. You have had it so hard, Jenna. Someone who can survive what you've gone through deserves a banana split."  
Jenna looked him over. "So you're just giving me something that I've earned and it isn't a date, right?"  
"Exactly," Isaac nodded solemnly.  
Jenna threw her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder. "Okay then, let's go."  
  
***  
  
"Felix, I have someone I want you to meet," Jenna said as she opened the door.  
Pulling his eyes away from the television, Felix looked up. "Who?"  
Isaac stepped inside. "My name is Isaac. It's nice to finally meet you, Felix. I gave Jenna a ride home; it was kind of chilly tonight."  
"You're Isaac?" Felix glared.  
"I'm Issac," Isaac nodded.  
"The Isaac?" Felix said, staring at Jenna.  
"The Isaac," Jenna confirmed. "That's what he said, wasn't it?"  
"I...I...I have no response to that," Felix blinked. "It's just...I thought we decided you wouldn't date, Jenna."  
"You decided," Jenna corrected. "I had no choice in the matter."  
Felix gazed steadily at his sister. "Is this what you want, Jenna?"  
Jenna nodded. "Yeah, this is what I want."  
"Okay then," Felix stated. "Do what you think will make you happy. I'd just like to talk with Isaac alone for a moment."  
Jenna stepped outside and closed to door, while Felix stared steadily at Isaac. "Isaac, I just have one thing to make clear about you dating my sister."  
"Which is...?" Isaac asked.  
"You break her heart, I break your face," Felix answered.  
"Sounds good," Isaac replied.  
  
***  
  
I updated! Are you happy now, Orchid?  
  
Orchid: NO! You only did one chapter nAoMi! Do more!  
  
Not in this story. As we say in Spanish: El Endo.  
  
Orchid: You don't know Spanish.  
  
How could you tell? Is it my accent?  
  
Orchid: I don't think so. 


	4. Epilogue

I hope you people realize how odd it is that once I'm done with a fic, I finally get reviews, most of which tell me to continue. I think it is a curse that I shall forever have with my romance fics.  
  
Garet: You're point?  
  
*sings S Club's song* Don't stop, never give up, hold your head high and reach the top, let the world see what you have got, bring it all back to you!  
  
Garet: I hate it when things happen to you that inspire you to write.  
  
^_^ So, this is for all those Valeshippers who "luff" my story and for Wolfy who has been reading and reviewing this story from the beginning! Thanks for your support, Wolfy!  
  
  
  
***  
  
Stone Wall of Fire  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Epilogue  
  
Jenna flopped into a chair. "That was an awesome song."  
  
Isaac nodded. "Your dancing was better."  
  
"Humbug," Jenna murmured. "I'm exhausted."  
  
"I'll get you something cool to drink," Isaac said, walking off.  
  
"Wait, Isaac! This one is a slow song!" Jenna cried, but her voice was lost in the blaring music and murmur of the other students of the gym.  
  
"Jenna?"  
  
Jenna looked up. "Garet! How are you? I didn't think you went to dances."  
  
Garet smiled. "Why go to some lame dance when you could be watching a movie with some friends?"  
  
Jenna nodded. "Yeah, I can understand that."  
  
"Want to dance?" Garet asked awkwardly.  
  
Jenna blinked. "Oh, of course! But...I came with Isaac, so I don't want to upset him."  
  
"Don't worry," Garet assured her. "Isaac isn't the jealous type."  
  
"Okay," Jenna smiled. She accepted his hand and walked out to the dance floor. She wrapped his arms around his neck, amazed at how perfectly her wrists lay on his shoulders.  
  
"That's something I haven't seen for a while," Garet grinned.  
  
Jenna stared blankly at him. "Huh?"  
  
"You looked happy," Garet said. "You haven't been happy since before your mother died."  
  
"You noticed?" Jenna asked, trying to mask the surprise in her voice.  
  
"I'm not as oafish as I make myself out to be," Garet told her. "When your father left and you became so distant and sad, I made it my goal to see you happy again. My only regret was that I wasn't the one who put the smile on your face."  
  
"I'm sorry, Garet," Jenna said sincerely.  
  
"Well, how about we make it better by going out for a movie next Friday?" Garet questioned.  
  
Jenna smiled sadly. "I would love to...but Isaac..."  
  
"Said that you deserved chances of the past few years back," Garet finished her sentence. "I told you, he's not the jealous type."  
  
"Well then, Garet, I accept. Don't be late, though, because Felix's new concern is guys standing me up," Jenna giggled.  
  
"Trust me, no guy would be that insane," Garet replied.  
  
***  
  
Jenna went on a few dates with Garet, as well as some other guys at her school. Even Ivan went on a date with her, but let's just call that a mistake and promise it will never happen again. Through it all, she continued to see Isaac and eventually went steady with him. It was said that his kindness and gentle touch, she changed from an ice rose with poison thorns to a brilliant crimson flower whose thorns were dulled with love.  
  
***  
  
Cheesy ending, I know, but you people asked for it!  
  
Garet: What's with this story and dances?  
  
I had a dance on my mind when I started it and I went to a dance two days ago. I asked one of the boys that I have a crush on to dance and he knew my name! It was so cool! o^_^o  
  
Garet: Okay, whatever. 


End file.
